Social

Repeat to Remember

Brain Rule #5 – Repeat to remember – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008
The more elaborately we encode a memory – the more we find value and emotion in the event – during the initial moments, the stronger the memory will be. Your life is full of memories. You are reading this right now . . . will you remember it?
The encoding process is essential as all information entering your brain is divided into fragments that are sent to different regions of your brain. The more regions you reach . . . the more meaning in each region . . . the better chance you will remember it.
Let’s return to learning theories class with Vygotsky . . . the more hooks you create to an event, the more likely you are to remember it. You are building a scaffold based on past experiences, emotional responses, and levels of interest. Repeated events – especially with meaning and emotion – become deeper seated memories.
As we work together, as we work with others, we must remember how we remember. How many times do we, as leaders, say, “I sent it in an email or I said it in a meeting”? We must extend beyond saying or sending it . . . we must create hooks.
You . . . as a leader . . . as a teacher . . . as a spouse . . . as a parent . . . as a friend must decide what’s important enough to communicate in multiple memory systems. We must prioritize our messages, focus our communications, and engage in active emotions. Not everything can be important . . . if it is you better reevaluate your purpose.